Stone Cold by C.J. Box, Kindle Edition, 2014, 384p, Head of Zeus publishers.
Overall Enjoyment Rating: Nine Gold Stars
An excellent addition to the rest of the Joe Pickett novels. I always find C.J. Box to be an interesting and engaging read and this one was no different. Stone Cold follows Joe as he is sent into a different county to investigate a man who has moved into the area. As usual, Joe finds himself in the middle of an explosive situation and it takes some action-hero-esque moves to get himself out of the line of fire.
I really enjoyed Nate Romanowski’s part in this novel, and the clash between Nate’s latest direction and Joe’s inherent goodness is very satisfying to read. I either love books that focus on Nate, or hate them, and I am glad to say that this one was the former. Marybeth and the family didn’t get much of a look in during this story, and Sheridan’s storyline seemed thrown in and pointless which is very strange in a Box novel.
The description of the country and the inhabitants of Medicine Wheel County were flawless, and as always I found myself in a descriptive world. Wyoming for me is a collection of C.J. Box novels, and I find the setting and its description a large factor in my love of these books. The characters are brilliant, and I had a special love for the sales lady who sold Joe Pickett a ATV, because she used so many lines that I have used at work, although in jest.
Overall, a very interesting and thrilling read. The only reason it isn’t a ten star read is the weak subplot. However, the main plot is thrilling enough.
Ranty Runt of a Reader 